Tools used in the kitchen for mashing food items such as potatoes are well known. Such mashing tools generally have a handle and a pair of arms connected to the handle and supporting therebetween a mashing surface opposite the handle. The mashing surface is generally formed with holes so that the food item being mashed may be extruded through such holes. Pushing down on the handle causes the mashing surface to apply a force to the food item and causes the food item to be compressed or mashed against a support surface, such as the bottom of a bowl in which the mashing is taking place. During mashing in a bowl or other vessel, some of the food item may become lodged onto the sides of the vessel. It is desirable to dislodge such displaced food and move it to the bottom of the vessel. In prior devices, it would be necessary to remove the mashing tool from the bowl and use a separate tool, such as a spatula or spoon, to then remove the displaced food items from the side of the bowl and to be relocated to the bottom of the bowl in order to be further mashed or use the side of the mashing surface, risking scraping and scratching the side of the bowl. The multiple steps of removing the mashing tool and locating a separate tool, such as a spatula and using the spatula to remove the food item from the sides of the bowl is time consuming and may delay the mashing process. Therefore, there is desired a mashing tool which provides for a means of both mashing and also removing displaced food items from the side of the bowl. It is also desirable for a mashing tool to provide a means of mixing the contents of a bowl.
Current mashing tools may have a flexible coating applied to some of the surfaces of the mashing tool. However, even with coatings of such flexible surfaces, the mashing tool generally is formed of a brittle, non-resilient material which may scratch the interior of a bowl in which mashing is occurring. Also, such rigid materials, such as metal, may cause much noise during the mashing process. Therefore, there is desired a mashing tool that reduces sticking and scratching and provides noise reduction when in operation.